A lone bugler sounding the traditional military farewell "Last Post" marked the arrival Wednesday in the Netherlands of the first dead from the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

The grieving nation then held a moment of silence to honor those killed in the crash of the jetliner, downed last week by a suspected surface-to-air missile over war-torn eastern Ukraine.

In a ceremony rich with martial symbolism -- from saluting soldiers to the haunting tune used to send war dead to their rest -- 40 simple wooden caskets were solemnly unloaded from two military planes. Soldiers then walked them to waiting hearses and lowered them inside before rendering a final salute.

The only sounds were the hushed orders of soldiers and a whipping wind.

A long line of hearses, accompanied by police, carried the remains slowly toward a Dutch military base in Hilversum, where forensic investigators will begin the grim work of identifying them. Thousands of Dutch residents lined roads and overpasses along parts of the route to pay respects to the dead.

MH17 victims' bodies transported 20 photos

MH17 victims' bodies transported20 photos

MH17 victims' bodies transported – A line of hearses arrives at the Korporaal van Oudheusdenkazerne in Hilversum, Netherlands, on Saturday, July 26, as bodies from the crash of Malaysia Flight 17 are brought to the Netherlands where they will be identified. Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people aboard. Of the people who died, 193 were Dutch citizens.

Hide Caption

1 of 20

MH17 victims' bodies transported20 photos

MH17 victims' bodies transported – Hearses carrying the coffins with the remains of the victims leave Eindhoven airbase on July 26

Hide Caption

2 of 20

MH17 victims' bodies transported20 photos

MH17 victims' bodies transported – Dutch military personnel carry coffins to a waiting hearse at the Eindhoven airbase on Friday, July 25.

Hide Caption

3 of 20

MH17 victims' bodies transported20 photos

MH17 victims' bodies transported – An Australian military cargo plane, carrying some of the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, leaves Kharkiv, Ukraine, en route to the Netherlands on Friday, July 25.

Hide Caption

4 of 20

MH17 victims' bodies transported20 photos

MH17 victims' bodies transported – People watch from a bridge in Boxtel, Netherlands, as hearses carry victims to Hilversum, Netherlands, on Thursday, July 24.

Family: They were just incredible kids

Just Watched

Ukraine Amb: Jets shot down from Russia

Some applauded as the hearses finally passed through the base gates, some tossed flowers on the vehicles. Others stood silently, red-eyed.

"The Netherlands are in shock, and Hilversum, as well," said the city's mayor, Pieter Broertjes.

Harun Calehr, whose two nephews were among the 298 people killed in the crash, called the ceremony "very moving and a beautiful tribute."

"It feels like we're just a big grieving family, and that somewhat helps in coping with this horrible, devastating event," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Shane Hattingh watched the procession on TV in South Africa, still wondering where the remains of his brother-in-law, Cameron Dalziel, might be.

"It's totally surreal. It was the weirdest feeling, knowing that my brother-in-law could be in one of those caskets. I just found myself wanting him to be there, but at the same time, that's too selfish," Hattingh said, adding that he hopes the victims who were children were the ones landing in the Netherlands first.

Hattingh said his sister, Cameron's wife, also watched the procession. "She's destroyed," he said, and her son has said his whole body is sore from crying. At this point, he said, his family only knows that Cameron, a helicopter rescue pilot who had recently moved to Malaysia with his family, was sitting in business class on Flight 17 -- a part of the plane that reportedly didn't sustain as much damage.

"We can only hope that things will work out for us, and we can get Cameron home and start the grieving process. ... My sister, she has no hope. It's about putting the left foot in front of the right," he said.

The somber ceremony in Eindhoven followed a moving and meaningful send-off in Ukraine. There, white-gloved Ukrainian soldiers respectfully carried the bodies of the victims to the aircraft that flew them home to a waiting Dutch king and queen on the nation's official day of mourning.

The honors afforded the remains contrasted sharply with how they were first treated in death -- blown out of the sky, then allowed to remain exposed to the elements for days. In some cases, furious Dutch officials say, they were stripped of their personal belongings.

Of the 298 people who died aboard Flight 17, 193 were Dutch citizens, and it was impossible to miss the signs that the Netherlands was a nation in mourning Wednesday.

Flags were flown at half-staff, and the nation's iconic windmills were placed in "mourning position" with wings tilted to the right. Courts suspended all trials, and even commercials were pulled from Dutch television and radio.

Buses and trains were to stop on roads nationwide during the moment of silence, and landings at Amsterdam's Schipol airport were paused as a sign of respect. In the evening, hundreds attended a memorial service at St. Joris church in Amersfoort.

Just Watched

Does debris prove MH17 was shot down?

World reacts to MH17 crash – Families of crew members aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 gather for a vigil Tuesday, July 22, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All 298 people aboard the passenger plane died when it was shot down Thursday, July 17, in a rebel-controlled part of eastern Ukraine.

Hide Caption

1 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – A woman cries July 22 during a service near the crash site.

Hide Caption

2 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – People in Melbourne gather to mourn the victims during a candlelight vigil at Federation Square on July 22.

Hide Caption

3 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – In memory of two Newcastle United fans who died in the crash, two wreaths are placed on seats July 22 at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. The soccer fans were traveling to New Zealand to watch their team play in a preseason tournament.

Hide Caption

4 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – A KLM employee reaches out into a sea of flowers July 22 at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Hide Caption

5 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – A flower and stuffed animal sit near the crash site on Monday, July 21.

Hide Caption

6 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – A woman in Kuala Lumpur attends a candlelight vigil on July 21.

Hide Caption

7 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko attends a flower-laying ceremony at the Dutch Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, on July 21. Although the passengers came from all over the world, many of them were Dutch because the flight originated in Amsterdam.

Hide Caption

8 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – A woman places a flower during a candlelight vigil in Kuala Lumpur on July 21.

Hide Caption

9 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – Mourners in Eynesbury, Australia, attend a memorial service Sunday, July 20, for a family of five killed in the disaster.

Hide Caption

10 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – Buddhist monks in the Malaysian capital light candles during a special prayer for the victims on July 20.

Hide Caption

11 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – Wildflowers lie on an engine from the crashed jet on Saturday, July 19.

Hide Caption

12 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – Friends of Nur Shazana Mohamed, a crew member aboard the flight, take part in a special remembrance prayer at a mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on July 19.

Hide Caption

13 of 28

Photos: Reaction to MH1728 photos

World reacts to MH17 crash – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signs a condolence register at the Ministry of Safety and Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on Friday, July 18. "I want to see results in the form of unimpeded access and rapid recovery," Rutte said in a press briefing. "This is now priority number one."

Who leads the pro-Russian rebels?

Just Watched

MH17 bodies arrive in Kharkiv

"Love will win. Light will break through," one relative of a family killed in the crash told mourners.

The commemorations come amid continued confusion over who shot the plane down, and why, and what may have happened to the evidence where the plane fell to fields deep in eastern Ukrainian territory controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

"There is a lot of anger. This was a crime, and people want to make sure that this crime is being solved," said Eelco Bosch van Rosenthal, a Dutch journalist who covered Wednesday's ceremony. "But today was really a day for grief, and I think tomorrow and the next few days, then that's really a new phase starting."

'Black boxes' arrive in UK

It took days for Ukrainian rebels who control the area of the crash site to hand over the bodies and the airliner's black boxes to Malaysian officials.

Now, the bodies are at a Dutch military base, and the voice and flight data recorders are in Britain for what will be a detailed scouring by international analysts. Investigators Wednesday found that the cockpit voice recorder was damaged, but its memory was intact. There was no sign of tampering.

But Dutch crash investigators leading the inquiry said Wednesday they still don't have everything they need.

"At the time of writing, the investigators have not yet been able to visit the site of the crash and conduct their investigation under safe conditions," the Dutch Safety Board said in a statement Wednesday.

"In order to conduct an effective investigation, the investigators must have the opportunity to move around the entire investigation site freely, investigate materials and traces from up close and secure them for further study where necessary," the board said. "At present, the investigators' safety has not been guaranteed."

Instead, investigators are working in Kiev and in the Netherlands using photos and other sources of information, the board said.

Given conditions at the crash site, which sits essentially in the middle of a war zone, it's impossible to say when investigators might get the access they want.

A British security source expressed concern to CNN's Max Foster on Wednesday about potential debris-tampering at the crash site.

Conversations intercepted by Ukrainian intelligence, which British security officials find persuasive, include separatists stating that they had possession of an SA-11 (Buk missile system) as early as Monday, July 14, the source said. The separatists were also talking about moving bodies, passing black boxes to Russia and a plan to scatter parts of other aircraft on the site, according to the source.

And while the black boxes are now in the hands of skilled investigators who are working hard to unspool the crucial information contained in them, it may take weeks for that analysis to yield results, the safety board said.

Similarly, work to identify the bodies may take weeks or even months, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

Cheating death twice on Malaysia Airlines

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 sits in a field at the crash site in Hrabove, Ukraine, on Tuesday, September 9. The Boeing 777 is believed to have been shot down July 17 in an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

Hide Caption

1 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Australian and Dutch experts examine the area of the crash on Sunday, August 3.

Hide Caption

2 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A woman walks with her bicycle near the crash site on Saturday, August 2.

Hide Caption

3 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Police secure a refrigerated train loaded with bodies of passengers from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 as it arrives in a Kharkiv, Ukraine, factory on Tuesday, July 22.

Hide Caption

4 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A pro-Russian rebel passes wreckage from the crashed jet near Hrabove on Monday, July 21.

Hide Caption

5 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Wreckage from the jet lies in grass near Hrabove on July 21.

Hide Caption

6 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A man covers his face with a rag as members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Dutch National Forensic Investigations Team inspect bodies in a refrigerated train near the crash site in eastern Ukraine on July 21.

Hide Caption

7 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Emergency workers carry a victim's body in a bag at the crash site on July 21.

Hide Caption

8 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A piece of the plane lies in the grass in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region on July 21.

Hide Caption

9 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – An armed pro-Russian rebel stands guard next to a refrigerated train loaded with bodies in Torez, Ukraine, on Sunday, July 20.

Hide Caption

10 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Ukrainian State Emergency Service employees sort through debris on July 20 as they work to locate the deceased.

Hide Caption

11 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A woman covers her mouth with a piece of fabric July 20 to ward off smells from railway cars that reportedly contained passengers' bodies.

Hide Caption

12 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Toys and flowers sit on the charred fuselage of the jet as a memorial on July 20.

Hide Caption

13 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – People search a wheat field for remains in the area of the crash site on July 20.

Hide Caption

14 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A woman walks among charred debris at the crash site on July 20.

Hide Caption

15 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Emergency workers load the body of a victim onto a truck at the crash site on Saturday, July 19.

Hide Caption

16 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Emergency workers carry the body of a victim at the crash site on July 19.

Hide Caption

17 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A large piece of the main cabin is under guard at the crash site on July 19.

Hide Caption

18 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Victims' bodies are placed by the side of the road on July 19 as recovery efforts continue at the crash site. International officials lament the lack of a secured perimeter.

Hide Caption

19 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A man looks through the debris at the crash site on July 19.

Hide Caption

20 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – An envelope bearing the Malaysia Airlines logo is seen at the crash site on July 19.

Hide Caption

21 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Armed rebels walk past large pieces of the Boeing 777 on July 19.

Hide Caption

22 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Ukrainian rescue workers walk through a wheat field with a stretcher as they collect the bodies of victims on July 19.

Hide Caption

23 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A woman looks at wreckage on July 19.

Hide Caption

24 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Pro-Russian rebels stand guard as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe delegation arrives at the crash site on Friday, July 18.

Hide Caption

25 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A woman walks through the debris field on July 18.

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – Wreckage from Flight 17 lies in a field in Shaktarsk, Ukraine, on July 18.

Hide Caption

28 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A man covers a body with a plastic sheet near the crash site on July 18. The passengers and crew hailed from all over the world, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany and Canada.

Hide Caption

29 of 58

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine58 photos

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine – A diver searches for the jet's flight data recorders on July 18.

Just Watched

Steward swapped flights to get on MH17

Officials gave conflicting reports about how many bodies were on the train that carried them from the crash site to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where they left for the Netherlands on Wednesday. And it was unclear how many bodies were inside the 40 caskets transported to the Netherlands.

Malaysian official Mohd Sakri, who traveled on the train with the remains, said there were 282 corpses and 87 body parts aboard -- the same tally Ukrainian officials earlier gave to describe the remains recovered from the crash site.

But Dutch investigators only confirmed there were at least 200 bodies transported from the crash site, said Jan Tuinder, head of the Dutch delegation.

Another Dutch official said investigators were still going through the train cars and it was possible that all the crash victims were on the train.

But officials said Monday that at the least, the bodies of 16 people were still unaccounted for. Their remains may still be scattered across a debris field spanning several miles.

As they combed the crash site on Wednesday, monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Malaysian experts searched for human remains. They spotted some in one location, he said.

"There's a lot of heavy debris still out there," spokesman Michael Bociurkiw said, "and we're not quite sure what could be underneath."

The crash site was eerily calm on Wednesday.

"It's like everyone picked up and left," he said.

A team of about 15 observers and Malaysian experts are doing everything they can, he said.

"But we feel somewhat on our own right now," Bociurkiw said. "And as I've said many times, there are people far better placed and trained than we are to do this very specialized type of work."